Hot Air Balloon
by existence555
Summary: When Iruka gives Naruto an interesting present, he shares it with Hinata. Based off an Owl City song, but NOT a songfic.


**A/N: This is based off an awesome song. It's Hot Air Balloon by Owl City. I don't own it. And yes, I know Naruto's birthday has passed. But inspiration hits when it hits, right? Anyway, would you like this to continue as a series of oneshots, or should I just leave it alone? Let me know in a REVIEW! :D**

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto screamed. "IRUKA-SENSEI!"

The chunin sweatdropped upon seeing his favorite student banging on the window of his classroom. The Academy students looked at the loud ninja curiously, looked back at Iruka, and look back at Naruto once more. They had heard that this guy had saved the village, but the sight of him did not flood them with awe. In fact, Iruka could almost hear the thump of jaws hitting the floor.

"Excuse me one second," Iruka said quickly. "Just finish that worksheet until I come back."

He ignored the smirks and giggles as he exited the classroom. Iruka, however frustrated he was, could not stop the smile from spreading across his face. It was, after all, Naruto's birthday, and he hadn't given him his gift yet. Iruka had a feeling that Naruto would quite enjoy what he had in store this year.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Happy birthday, Naruto," Iruka grinned.

"What about my gift?" the blonde asked hopefully.

Iruka chuckled. As much as Naruto had matured (though in his defense, most of the maturation was physical), he would still be the same old Naruto.

"Ramen's on me today," Iruka replied. "And there's something waiting for you at your usual training grounds. And stop inter–"

Naruto's eyes lit up and he sped off in that direction without listening to anything else.

"Thanks!" he called back. "I'll see you later."

"Rupting my class," Iruka finished with an amused sigh.

As luck would have it, on the way to Iruka's surprise, Naruto had a run-in with Hinata.

"Hey Hinata!" he yelled, though she was right next to him. "What's up?"

The girl blushed hard and Kiba gave her an encouraging nod.

"H-happy birthday, Naruto-kun," she smiled. "I g-got you this."

"For me?" Naruto asked, his grin becoming even wider. "Thanks!"

He opened the box enthusiastically to find a book of ramen coupons. He had never seen such things before, but after reading them, he was surprised and pleased. Hinata had gone to Ichiraku and paid for twenty bowls of ramen, which had translated into twenty coupons, each for one bowl of ramen.

"Thanks!" Naruto repeated. "That's really awesome, Hinata."

"You're w-welcome," Hinata said shyly, her blush deepening.

Naruto suddenly remembered where he had been going.

"Ne, Hinata, Iruka-sensei got me something and it's waiting in my usual training grounds," he told her. "Do you wanna come check it out with me? Sakura-chan has hospital duties, Sai is with some Danzo guy, and you know Kakashi-sensei, he's like not findable."

"I would be h-happy too," Hinata accepted.

With a few more looks of encouragement from her team, Hinata started walking with Naruto towards his present.

"W-what do you think it is?" she asked.

"I don't know," Naruto shrugged happily. "Something big, I bet. Cuz it was too big to fit in the academy. Iruka-sensei is the best, right?"

Hinata nodded. She did have to thank Iruka for this chance encounter with her crush.

"You can help me open it," Naruto offered.

"If that's o-okay with you," Hinata breathed, trying to calm herself from all this sudden Naruto attention.

When they arrived, Hinata's face was still tomato red and Naruto's grin had not disappeared. Actually it got even broader when he saw _it _in all its glory.

"AWESOME!" Naruto yelled. "THAT IS SO COOL!"

Hinata looked carefully at the hot air balloon sitting on the grass. There was a man next to it, probably the one who would be able to operate it. Hot air balloons were no cheap gift, even if it was only one ride, and she was amazed at the amount Iruka had spent on Naruto. Then again, she would have done it one hundred times over.

Naruto ran towards the balloon and engaged the man in conversation right away. Hinata could hear his questions about how far it would go, and if it could explode, and how high it went. She smiled, happy that he was happy, and turned to go back to her team.

"Hinata, where are you going?" Naruto called after her. "Don't you wanna go in the balloon?"

She could not _believe_ that she had just heard him say that. Feeling a little dizzy, she stopped and turned back around.

"Would you like me to come?" she asked, hope creeping into her voice.

"Yeah, it'll be fun!" Naruto told her.

She walked back over, a nervous smile on her lips. In the moment, she had basically forgotten her fear of heights. In any case, Naruto was worth braving that fear. The man explained to them how to land the balloon and then started it up for them.

"Have fun!" he told them cheerily. "Umino-san knows how to reach me, when you're done, that is."

Naruto looked down as the hot air balloon began to rise, filling with amazement.

"This is so cool!" he exclaimed. "Right, Hinata-chan?!"

When Hinata didn't reply, he shot her a glance. Instead of the pink tinge that usually stained her cheeks when she was around Naruto, she looked unusually pale.

"Hinata?" he said. "Are you okay?"

She didn't say anything, only motioned with a shaky finger to the increasingly smaller world below them.

"Oh," Naruto realized. "You're scared of heights."

She nodded silently, her eyes still on the ground.

"It's okay," he reassured her. "I won't let you fall."

He put his arm around her shoulders, pulling her close to him.

"Better?" he inquired.

"Y-yes," she replied, finally managing to stammer out a response.

They watched in wonder as they rose steadily, finally leveling off among the clouds.

"Happy birthday, Naruto-kun," Hinata said softly, her pronunciations faultless.

"It is," Naruto agreed. "I'm enjoying it."

"When do you w-want to go b-back down?" Hinata asked.

"I don't," Naruto answered promptly.

It was sunset when touched back down and both of them were reluctant to get out.

Naruto had felt something up there but he couldn't figure out quite how to get the nice warmth back.

Hinata, still next to him, took hold of his hand in an uncharacteristically bold move.

They exchanged smiles as his fingers curled around hers.

_-So let's spend the afternoon in a cold hot air balloon-_


End file.
